Sadiq al-Shirazi

Jul 19

**DOB:** 20 August 1942

**Nationality:** Iraqi-Iranian

**Location:** Iran
**Ideology/Affiliation:** Muslim Shiite

**Type of Leader:** Preacher/ Propagandist

Biography

Sadiq al-Husayni al-Shirazi is an Iraqi-Iranian Shia marja’ Grand Ayatollah, born in 1942 in Karbala. His parents, Mirza Mahdi al-Shirazi (a Grand Ayatollah) and Halima al-Shirazi are from the distinguished clerical al-Shirazi family originally from Shiraz, Iran. Sadiq is the successor of his older brother Muhammad al-Shirazi after his death in 2001, commonly known as Imam Shirazi, who was a marja' and political theorist.

He started his education in Karbala, Iraq under his father and older brothers Muhammad and Hasan before continuing his studies under a number of notable religious figures, including Sayyid Muhammad-Hadi al-Milani, Sheikh Muhammad-Ridha al-Isfahani, Sheikh Muhammad al-Shahroudi, Sheikh Muhammad al-Karbassi, Sheikh Jafar al-Rashti and Sheikh Muhammad-Husayn al-Mazindarani.

In 1971, he moved from Iraq to Kuwait after the Baathist regime forced him and his brother to leave Iraq. After the Iranian Islamic revolution, Sadiq and his family migrated to Iran where he resumed education under his brother’s supervision, until he earned ijtihad (a source of law for Shia after the Qur’an and the Sunna of the Prophet) and started his own classes.

Sadiq al-Shirazi marja’iyya (religious reference) stayed silent and less known, comparatively to Muhammad, his older brother. However, Yasser al-Habib, a controversial Kuwaiti cleric, claimed his affiliation with him which placed his marja’iyya (religious reference) under close watch. However, al-Shirazi never denied anyone’s self-proclaimed affiliations to him, but announced that there is no person or body that represents him except Marjaeyat TV, which represents his official opinion.

The Shirazi movement created more than 20 satellite television channels in different languages, including English, Arabic, Farsi, Turkish and Urdu. According to a report published in March 2018 by the news agency Tasnim, Iranians believe that these channels “work on a daily basis to promote extremist ideology, attack the Iranian Islamic Republic and ignite the fire of war between Sunnis and Shias, i.e. provide indirect services to takfirist movements that wreak havoc in the Muslim nation.”

Sadiq has published a number of books on jurisprudence and the principles of jurisprudence such as, Commentaries on Urwat al-Wuthqa(The Firmest Bond, an Islamic revolutionary journal founded by Muhammad Abduh and Jamāl al-Dīn al-Afghānī.), Islamic Politics, Ali in the Qur'an (2 volumes), Fatima al-Zahra' in the Qur'an, The Truth about the Shi'a, The Shi'a in the Qur'an, Qiyas in the Islamic Shari'ah, among others.

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Evidence of Hate Speech/Incitement:

April 2015: According to Al-Monitor, “during the Iranian government-sponsored Week of Unity for Shiites and Sunnis, the Shirazi channels declared a Week of Bera’at, named after a Quranic concept that requires Muslims to condemn nonbelievers”.

April 2012: al-Shirazi talked about the Sunni Wahabis and called for them to be killed as they are “non-believers” and “monsters”.

Social Media:

Video Links:

Note: The video below was judged too violent and contains inappropriate images. An extract with no violent images can be found here.

A video was released containing a recording of al-Shirazi inciting Shiites to kill the Wahabis Sunnis and whoever supports them as they are “terrorists”. He also said that the Mosques where the “Wahabis, non-believers, monsters” pray have to be demolished as it is the place where they develop their activities.

Extremist Individuals - Islam